REGULATION 204. Professional Reputation
204:1 Applicant’s submission; Civil Trial Law, Criminal Trial Law, Matrimonial Law,
[and] Workers’ Compensation Law, and Municipal Court Law.
(a) Each applicant shall submit as references the names and addresses of [five] eight
members of the bench or bar of this State who can attest to the applicant's
competence as an attorney in the area of practice in which certification is being
sought. Members of the bar whose names are submitted for such purpose must be
substantially engaged in that area of practice. [At least two] Three references
shall be from judges who have observed the applicant's skills in the three years
preceding the filing of the application. Five references shall be from members of
the bar who have been an adversary or co-counsel with the applicant in trial.
(1) in the case of municipal court practice applications, “members of the
bench” refers to judges of the municipal court.
(b) At least two references shall be from attorneys who represented opposing parties,
one of whom shall have represented an opposing party in a "contested [matter]
action" or a "contested matrimonial law trial" as defined in these Regulations, and
another of whom shall have represented an opposing party in a "litigated matter"
or a "contested matrimonial law hearing" within the three years immediately
preceding the filing of the application.
(c) An applicant may not submit as a reference the name of any member of the bench
or bar with whom the applicant has or had been formally associated in the practice
of law.
(d) Justices of the Supreme Court and members of the Board and the Certification
Committees are not eligible as references for an applicant.
